HOUSTON, June 14, 2018 /PRNewswire/ — alliantgroup is proud to announce the winners of the firm’s 2018 STEM scholarship program. The program, which is run though the firm’s charitable initiative, the Blue Heart Fund, awarded six $10,000 scholarships to the sons and daughters of alliantgroup’s clients and CPA and industry alliance partners.

This year’s scholarship award winners are Alexis Boron, Oakland University (Michigan); Alexander Fritton, Purdue University; Schuyler Broadway, North Carolina State University; Adam Langlois, Louisiana State University; Nick Lenyo, Ohio State University; and James Nagengast, the University of California-Riverside. The winners were honored during alliantgroup’s latest Technology, Legislative & Policy Summit, with each recipient in attendance presented a $10,000 check from alliantgroup CEO Dhaval Jadav.

“It gives me great pride to congratulate this year’s scholarship award winners,” said Jadav. “It is my personal belief that every child should have the opportunity to learn about science, technology, engineering and mathematics—the very foundations of our emerging technology-based economy. These are the fields where massive investments in research and development are taking place that will ultimately create a more dynamic economy and propel our country into economic prosperity for generations to come.”

The firm’s scholarship program ties into a number of other corporate philanthropy initiatives sponsored by the Blue Heart Fund in support of STEM-based education. As technology advances and becomes increasingly part of our offices and facilities, developing a strong STEM skillset will be vital for the next generation of students in improving their career prospects in the emerging tech economy. As a result, alliantgroup has made the promotion of STEM education the primary focus of its current philanthropic initiatives.

Along with alliantgroup’s individual outreach initiatives, the firm has also worked hand-in-hand with industry alliance heads in promoting awareness of STEM-based careers. The firm has partnered with organizations such as NSCA and PMPA to spread the word on the value of STEM jobs and in promoting awareness of technical careers in fields such as manufacturing and systems integration. The idea behind these endeavors is to expose students to options they may have never considered and to provide alternatives to a standard four-year degree that can lead to an engaging and high-paying career.

“Statistics show that the U.S. is suffering from a major shortage of technical talent entering workforce,” said Jadav. “If we do not address this issue now, it will have dire consequences for the nation, affecting everything from wages to American competitiveness and economic growth. This is the reason why our firm has chosen to make STEM our top philanthropic priority—to ensure the next generation is as prosperous as we were and receives the same economic opportunities.”

alliantgroup’s mission is one of education and awareness—we exist to help industry organizations, businesses and the accounting firms that advise them take full advantage of all federal and state tax credits, incentives and deductions available. These powerful incentive programs are legislated by the government to help businesses grow and remain competitive locally as well as abroad. We are proud to have helped over 12,000 businesses claim more than $6 billion in tax incentives. alliantgroup’s international headquarters is in Houston, Texas, with offices across the country and internationally including New York, Boston, Chicago, Orange County, Sacramento, Indianapolis, Washington, D.C and London and Bristol in the U.K. For more information on alliantgroup, please follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.